Choblet, Gaël;
Tobie, Gabriel;
Buch, Arnaud;
Čadek, Ondrej;
Barge, Laura M;
Bēhounková, Marie;
Camprubi, Eloi;
... Van Hoolst, Tim; + view all
(2021)
Enceladus as a potential oasis for life: Science goals and investigations for future explorations.
Experimental Astronomy
10.1007/s10686-021-09808-7.
(In press).
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Abstract
Enceladus is the first planetary object for which direct sampling of a subsurface water reservoir, likely habitable, has been performed. Over a decade of flybys and seven flythroughs of its watery plume, the Cassini spacecraft determined that Enceladus possesses all the ingredients for life. The existence of active eruptions blasting fresh water into space, makes Enceladus the easiest target in the search for life elsewhere in the Solar System. Flying again through the plume with more advanced instruments, landing at the surface near active sources and collecting a sample for return to Earth are the natural next steps for assessing whether life emerges in this active world. Characterizing this habitable world also requires detailed mapping and monitoring of its tidally-induced activity, from the orbit as well as from the surface using complementary platforms. Such ambitious goals may be achieved in the future in the framework of ESA large or medium-class missions in partnership with other international agencies, in the same spirit of the successful Cassini-Huygens mission. For all these reasons, exploring habitable ocean worlds, with Enceladus as a primary target, should be a priority topic of the ESA Voyage 2050 programme.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Enceladus as a potential oasis for life: Science goals and investigations for future explorations |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10686-021-09808-7 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-021-09808-7 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | Science & Technology, Physical Sciences, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Enceladus, Habitability, Ocean world, Mission concepts, SATURNS-RINGS, SOUTH-POLE, INTERIOR STRUCTURE, WATER RESERVOIR, MISSION CONCEPT, PLUME ACTIVITY, LIQUID WATER, CASSINI-VIMS, ORIGIN, LIBRATION |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Space and Climate Physics |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10165000 |
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